Sri Lanka

Explore the incredibly diverse island of Sri Lanka, taking an in depth look at its history and culture. The boutique hotels have all been very carefully choosen to make the most of each location.

Venture north to the tip of the country to Jaffna, an area often overlooked by tourists and home to a compelling history and culture. With a longer-than-usual stay in the Cultural Triangle in two different areas, you’ll get to experience even more fascinating ancient sites, temples and rural life. You’ll really get under the surface of Sri Lanka taking in its scenic landscapes as you traverse from north to south enjoying some of our best signature experiences.

Highlights include:

Discovering the distinct culture and food scene in the north around the lesser visited area of Jaffna

Take several train rides through the scenic countryside - an exciting way to travel like the locals

Spend five days exploring the fascinating ancient cities, temples and rural life around the Cultural Triangle, getting to really understand the history of Sri Lanka

Exploring Galle Fort with a local historian

As with all our holidays, this itinerary is just a starting point. We can tailor it completely to suit your budget, pace and style. To find out more about how this suggested itinerary could inspire your own holiday, fill in the form below.

DAY 1 DEPART UK

Depart the UK on your flight to Colombo.

DAYS 2 & 3 COLOMBO

On arrival at Colombo airport you will be met by your chauffeur-guide. You will transfer to your boutique hotel in the city centre where you will be for a two-night stay. Spend the remainder of your first day relaxing before embarking on a walking and tuk tuk tour the following morning as your guide reveals the heart of the city to you.

DAYS 4 - 6 JAFFNA

You’ll transfer to Colombo airport where you’ll board a short domestic flight up to Jaffna on the northern tip of the island. The culture and cuisine is quite different from other parts of Sri Lanka. Your three-night stay here begins with a free afternoon to spend at leisure exploring your surroundings. The following day, you’ll travel with your local guide through the Jaffna peninsula, past captivating landscapes sprinkled with desert dunes, buried churches and Hindu temples before heading into the town to explore the area’s wonderful mix of cultures. Another day will be spent exploring one of the most off-beat and bewitchy regions in the country - the string of largely uninhabited islands off the peninsula.

DAYS 7 - 11 CULTURAL TRIANGLE

Across five days, you’ll really get to explore the Cultural Triangle in depth, staying in two different locations to cover more ground and by visiting an array of fascinating historic sites and rural villages. Journey by train into the heart of Anuradhapura where you’ll stay for the first two-nights, beginning your full day here at the temple complex of Mihintale, a very important religious site. Hidden in the jungle-clad hills is a selection of beautiful cave monasteries you will explore before visiting Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of the Sinhalese culture.

Transfer about an hour and a half further south into the heart of the Cultural Triangle for a further three-nights. Here you will explore the backroads of Polonnaruwa on a cycling tour, beat the crowds with an early climb up the towering Sigiriya rock fortress and head out into the surrounding countryside to get an insight into how the locals live and farm.

DAYS 12 & 13 KANDY

Travel with your chauffeur-guide to Sri Lanka’s second city, Kandy, stopping at the special World Heritage site of Dambulla with its 2,200 year old cave temples. During your two-night stay here, visit one of the world’s most important Buddhist shrines, the sacred Temple of the Tooth. Discover the contrasts of the city on our signature excursion, from visiting the Botanical Gardens to a fascinating heritage home to admire traditional Sinhalese artwork.

DAYS 14 & 15 HAPUTALE

Board one of the world’s most scenic train routes through the lush tea country and dramatic mountain peaks as you amble to Haputale on the edge of hill country. Take a short and easy walk up to the famous ‘Lipton’s Seat’ view point to appreciate some truly spectacular panoramas across the tea estates. A stay amongst the plantations wouldn’t be complete without paying a visit to a working tea factory to learn about the growing process before sipping on a cup yourself.

DAYS 16 - 18 GALLE

Your chauffeur-guide will transport you by road to the Galle Coast where you’ll spend the last three-nights of your holiday relaxing in a lovely boutique hotel in the fort itself. Treat your senses to a hands on cooking class using fresh vegetables and spices with clay pots and a fire stove as you learn the local way to prepare lunch. Spend the rest of your time relaxing on the nearby beaches and on a walking tour with your local guide around the old Galle Fort.

DAY 19 FLY HOME

Your driver will transport you to Colombo airport to depart on your flight back to the UK.

As every holiday is unique to you, prices vary. To give you an indication, two-week holidays range from roughly £2,500 to £8,000 per adult, with an average price of £3,300. We also offer substantial child and seasonal discounts.

Fill in our Quote Request form to get your quick, no-obligations proposal.

As every holiday is unique - Call our experts on 1-888-577-8452 for an inclusive, personalised quotation for your preferred dates or use the quote request form below...

Inclusions

Your personalised quotation with Experience Travel Group will include:

International Flights (which can be omitted from your quotation if you prefer)

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Customer Feedback

We did want to say to you how much we appreciated your efforts on our behalf and how very accurate you were in assesssing the sort of accommodation we would like. Each place was fun in a different sort of way and the contrasts made it even more exciting.